Napoleon Bonaparte’s mysterious death has generated a host of murder conspiracy theories over the years.

And now a large piece of wallpaper from the Emperor’s bedroom is up for auction, which could prove whether he was murdered by the British.

The French emperor mysteriously died while in British custody on the South Atlantic island of St Helena on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51.

Deadly? The book is bound in wallpaper from the bedroom of Longwood House, St Helena, where Napoleon Bonaparte died. Since his death, it has been suggested that he died from cancer or was poisoned by British soldiers. A third theory says he died after inhaling toxic vapours from wallpaper which was laced with arsenic

Since his death, it has been suggested that he died from cancer or was poisoned by British soldiers.

A third theory says he died after inhaling toxic vapours from wallpaper which was laced with arsenic.

Napoleon (pictured) became the Emperor of France in 1804 and secured a streak of victories in war, cementing the countries place as a dominant force in Europe

The largest piece of the patterned paper is around the same size as a piece of A3 paper and is expected to fetch £2,000 when it goes to auction on March 18.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, a documents expert at Mullock Auctioneers in Shropshire, believes the item could finally solve the mystery of Napoleon’s death.

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‘I have estimated it at £2,000 although it could easily go for more considering the other two items went for near that figure and were a lot smaller,’ he said.

‘It is the biggest piece ever found and is extremely rare. Everything that has been sold in the past have been tiny, this is the size of an A3 piece of paper.’

Explaining how the sizeable scrap of wallpaper came to be liberated from the Emperor’s bedroom, Mr Westwood-Brookes explained: ‘When Napoleon died, the place was full of British soldiers and after he died, they obviously decided to take things from his bedroom.

‘I would assume this was to bring home as souvenirs, many of them took small pieces of wall paper, but this is a huge bit.

The inside of the book reads: 'The paper covering this scrapbook and formings is binding was taken from the bedroom of Buonaparte and once decorated its walls at Longwood in the Island of St Helena. June AD 1813'

‘It is of exceptional rarity due to the rumours of him being killed by it.

‘It would give a researcher ample amounts of specimens to be able to test it.’

Despite the possibility of the wallpaper containing traces of arsenic it is not thought it will pose a threat to potential buyers.

Mr Westwood-Brookes said: ‘The piece of wallpaper is in excellent condition considering how fragile it is and how old it is.

‘The family who are selling it are of a fairly high status, that is all I can say, and they have clearly looked after it.

‘This would obviously make the piece more valuable and easier for a researcher to do tests on it.

It is estimated that the book will fetch £2,000 at auction although it could go for more considering the other two items with traces of the wallpaper went for near that figure and were a lot smaller

‘I wouldn’t like to say how Napoleon died, it is unfair to speculate, but if it was from this wallpaper, I am sure we will be able to find out very soon.’

Napoleon became the Emperor of France in 1804 and secured a streak of victories in war, cementing the country’s place as a dominant force in Europe.

However, during the Peninsular war between 1807 and 1814, he decided to invade Russia, which showed France’s military frailties.

He was forced to abdicate and go into exile to the Italian island of Elba in 1814, before escaping a year later and returning to power.

Napoleon was finally defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 and spent the last six years of his life in confinement by the British at Saint Helena.

The piece of wallpaper will be auctioned at Ludlow Racecourse in Shropshire on March 18.

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF NAPOLEON AND CONFLICTING THEORIES

Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution, was born in August 1769 and died on May 5 1821.

The Emperor was said to have died from stomach cancer. The physician who led the autopsy found evidence of a stomach ulcer but some people said it was the most convenient explanation for the British, who wanted to avoid criticism over their care of the Emperor. Napoleon's father died of stomach cancer.

In 1955 the diaries of the leader's valet were published, which included the description of bed-bound Napoleon months before his death.

Based on the description, scientists put forward other theories as to why he died - which included arsenic poisoning.

Arsenic was used as a poison during the era because it was undetectable when administered over a long period.

It was noted in a later book that Napoleon's body was found to be remarkably well preserved when moved in 1840 and arsenic is a preservative.

In 2007 a toxicologist said he found mineral arsenic in napoleon's hair shafts, which supported the theory that he was murdered.

The wallpaper used in Longwood contained a high level of arsenic compound used by British manufacturers as a dye.

It has been suspected that if the wallpaper got hot it might have emitted the poisonous gas arsine, but other scientists think the poison would have had to be consumed internally - or that the leader really did die of cancer.